Fri, Jan 19, 2024 page2

• Ministry unveils subsidies to encourage XR creations

  EXTENDED REALITY: Minister of Culture Shih Che said he hopes that Taiwanese culture would become ‘the Kuroshio Current that brings warmth to the world’

  • By Liu Tzu-hsuan / Staff reporter
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  The Ministry of Culture yesterday announced a subsidy program to encourage extended-reality (XR) creations inspired by Taiwanese cultural elements.

  Applications for the program are to open on Monday next week until March 1, the ministry said.

  The program is part of the Cultural Kuroshio Current plan to promote Taiwanese art, publishing, cultural creativity, audiovisual works, cultural technology and cultural diplomacy, it said.

  

  Students in Tainan attend a class using virtual-reality equipment on Dec. 12 last year.

  Photo courtesy of the Tainan Bureau of Education

  The aim of the program is to encourage the integration of technology and local cultural elements to produce innovative XR creations that have the potential to spread to the world, it said.

  While Taiwan boasts a technology industry that serves as a “sacred mountain protecting the country,” hopefully Taiwanese culture would become “the Kuroshio Current that brings warmth to the world,” Minister of Culture Shih Che (史哲) said.

  Taiwan is one of the leading players in the global XR creation ecosystem, producing works that shine at major international exhibitions, which have become another stage for the world to see the nation, Shih said.

  The ministry proposed the first large-scale subsidy program for XR creations to generate more energy in the application of technology to culture, he said.

  The program is open to Taiwanese companies, colleges and universities, and groups, with three categories for creations, the ministry said.

  Submissions for the “Concept Creation” category need to include a prototype and videos showing what can be expected in the completed work, it said.

  The “Production” category requires a prototype that can demonstrate the concept and a completed work of no less than 10 minutes, it said.

  The “Interactive” category accepts entries that are market-oriented and can either be a prototype demonstrating the concept. or a half-completed or completed work of no less than 10 minutes, it said.

  The maximum amounts that would go to winning applications in each category are NT$3 million (US$95,024), NT$6 million and NT$12 million respectively, it said.

  The completed works in all three categories have to be viewable via a head-mounted device, and can also include interactive elements, 360-degree videos and immersive experiences, it said.

  Works that showcase Taiwan’s culture, cultural landscape, cultural venues, history and art are preferred, the ministry said, adding that cooperation with international partners is also encouraged.

  If a subsidized work is shortlisted or wins an award at specified international events as a Taiwanese entry by June next year, its creators can apply for airfare subsidies for up to three people to attend the event, it said.

  The events that qualify for the airfare subsidy include the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas, the NewImages Festival in Paris, the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in South Korea, the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City and the Venice International Film Festival in Italy, it said.
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